Srinagar: Asking students not to confront police, Inspector General of Police Kashmir Zone, Syed Javaid Mujtaba Geelani Monday said that militant outfits Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizbul Mujhadeen are behind the bank robberies in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference here in Police Control Room, IGP Kashmir said that the video footages taken from different banks that were looted indicated that militants are responsible for robberies. He said that a militant Abu Ali was the kingpin of the bank robberies who was killed in an encounter in Central Kashmir.
While talking about student protests in Kashmir, IGP said that these protests and stone-pelting incidents are mostly limited to South Kashmir. He said that recently some students attacked a BSF camp in Handwara while during investigation it came to fore that few students were paid for the protest. “This is a specific incident while in majority of the cases, students are being mostly goaded for hitting to streets,” he said.
Referring to the killing of PDP Pulwama District President, IGP said that police have arrested two persons including a lawyer. “It was the lawyer who provided information to militants about the movement of the slain leader,” he said and added that mostly over ground workers of militants are responsible for the killings.
Responding to a question, IGP said that 95 youths have joined militant ranks recently. “There are about 200 militants among which 100 are locals,” he said adding that anti-militancy operations are conducted on information basis.
To a question, Syed Javaid Mujtaba Geelani said that the Pulwama incident that triggered all these student protests is being probed. “Once the report will be submitted, action will follow,” he said and appealed the student community to maintain peace and calm.
When asked about the surfacing of militant videos on the social networking sites, IGP said that militants have doing this just to show their presence. “It is kind of psychological warfare they are indulging in,” he said.
When asked about the ban on social networking sites: IGP said that they will see what impact it will have and after a month they will take the future course of action. (CNS)
